Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and comprehend basic health information and services needed to make appropriate and meaningful health decisions. The dental provider should be aware of the goals provided by DHHS for safe, patient-centered, and equitable care for all members of a community. In this episode, we will review some of the challenges around the topic of health literacy as well as some of the steps we can take as healthcare providers to meet the needs of our patients with an in-depth understanding of health literacy.  Resources: Fleming, Jennie M. (March 2007). Health Literacy-a life-threatening communication gap. Kleinman, Dushanka V., Horowitz, Alice M. (July 2007). Oral Health Literacy and your practice. Woman Dentist Journal.  

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

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Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

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Let's take a look at the considerations for care and our role as a dental hygienist in the prevention of disease. It is important to consider the unique factors of each of the target populations (patient type) needs and desires. Preventive strategies should consider specific patient risk factors including caries risk, periodontal risk, and the contributing factors of oral health and chronic diseases. A dental hygienist who considers all the specific factors when developing appropriate preventive strategies will be more effective at meeting the needs of each patient.

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

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Ethics determine the set of norms that are followed by a given profession and jurisprudence ensures adherence to those specific norms. It is important for dental hygiene student to consider their own beliefs from the perspective of the clinician, patient, and student. Understanding one's own beliefs and attitudes around a topic help to develop an in-depth understanding of personal perspective and consideration of others. 

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Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

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How much do we need to know about dental insurance benefits as dental hygienists? The more you know and understand dental benefits, the better equipped you will be to meet the needs of your patients. You want to consider yourself responsible for accurate record keeping and know that the services you are saying you complete are actually the ones you are doing. CDT Codes define services or procedures to align dental offices across the country to understand the proper service codes for each treatment. It is essential for the RDH to use the correct CDT code for every service provided.

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

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Enamel formation can be tough to understand. The process is somewhat complex and “cellular”. Don’t sweat the small stuff as we take a closer look at all of the little things that go on in the process of enamel formation. This episode goes great with a review of tooth development and eruption as well.

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

Instagram: ⁠@the_happy_flosser⁠

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Congratulations! You have made it to midterms - this means you are halfway through the semester. How are you planning to study? Are you managing your time well? What type of learner are you? How can you study efficiently and effectively? In this episode, we are going to break down the most effective ways to best prepare for the midterm exams.

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

Instagram: ⁠@the_happy_flosser⁠

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Learning proper instrumentation skills is essential. The foundation of instrumentation basics must be strong in order to properly build on. As you review these principles, keep in mind your need for continued growth and development of the muscles of your hand. The modified pen grasp is a challenging development required in the pre-clinical component of the curriculum. In this episode, we will break down the fundamentals of the modified pen grasp and also take a look at some of the challenges associated with the modified pen grasp for students. 

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

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The two types of eruptions are Active and Passive eruptions. In this episode, we will review the phases and processes of both active and passive eruption. Students learn all about the eruption process over their lifespan and need to have an understanding of eruption for board exams and clinical implementation. It will be so helpful for you as a clinician to have an in-depth knowledge of the eruption process when you are working with patients.

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

Instagram: ⁠@the_happy_flosser⁠

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Are you hard on yourself as a dental hygiene student? What we focus our attention on we will magnify. Our thoughts create our feelings and in turn our reality. In this episode, we will take a look at some of the dialogue you can identify in your mind and discover how the thoughts you choose to develop create your feelings and outcomes. Student success can be greatly impacted by what you tell yourself about your learning journey. 

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

Instagram: ⁠@the_happy_flosser⁠

Take a look at a recent product I have tried and recommend. ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/thehappyflosser ⁠⁠⁠promo code: HAPPYFLOSSER  

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In Part 2 of our discussion, Dr. Neumeister shares some of his own journeys on the path to clinical excellence as well as some of the obstacles and challenges he faced and had to overcome in order to become the clinician he knew he wanted to be. Dr. Neumeister is very open about his early career struggles and provides us with a candid and vulnerable perspective on the transitions many of us encounter as we transition from our school setting to clinical practice. His experience and reflection provide us with the opportunity to gain insight into some of the common struggles and anxiety-provoking limits that we put on ourselves as early clinicians. I hope as you listen to this episode, you are able to gain a different perspective on what is really important as you move out into the field. It is important to keep in mind that we all take this leap and work through our own fears and doubts to become the best clinician that we can be. Dr. Neumeister tells his story in a way that we all can relate to and understand to help us on our journey. 

As I say.... "Those who know will grow."

Study Sheets: ⁠⁠⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠⁠⁠

Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School

Instagram: ⁠@the_happy_flosser⁠

Take a look at a recent product I have tried and recommend. ⁠⁠⁠bit.ly/thehappyflosser ⁠⁠⁠promo code: HAPPYFLOSSER  

Email Me: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠